Introducing my babies and a couple questions

[junior67]

First.... I am using a MHP should I have some type of light for night for them or should they sleep all night.

One had a tiny bit of pasty butt so I used a warm damp cloth and tried to get most of it off. She wasn't blocked at all just a tiny bit of poop stuck under. If any is still stuck in the am should I try again?

 

[ladybrasa]

As long as they are warm enough from the heating pad, they do not need an extra light for seeing. They naturally go to “roost” at night and sleep until dawn.

If it doesn’t stress her out too much, it’s probably best to get all the poo off and start ‘fresh’!

 

[junior67]

Too Funny. Fajita and Taco are the best of friends and can almost always be found together

 

[HiEverybirdy]

I literally just searched your profile to see if you got those chicks and how it's going. Congratulations!! Cute pics and names.

We got our chicks in a similar way last year: working with the chicken lady at the local co-op so ours didn't have to be shipped separately from the hatchery. It was a nice way to ease into chickens because we kind of had a team at the co-op. We'd go in and share photos and brag on birds

Keep an eye on the poopy booties, that the poop isn't blocking anything or building up too much. A little poop is okay and preferable to over-addressing it, potentially irritating or exposing their butts to pecking.

Sometimes it's hard to know where the line is between over- and under-addressing things, but you get a feel for it. And you've noticed how quiet they are when they're comfortable--they'll also tell you loud and clear if there's a problem.

 

[junior67]

I check twice a day at the very start but if there isn't any/much issue, I cut it down to once a day.

Thank you! who would have guessed with almost a year of research I would then be all worried once they got here. Haahaa!

 

[junior67]

Updated pics 6 days after having them. 2 pics of Dolphin trying to show how her feathers look. She is one of my EE

 

[junior67]

3 weeks

 

[junior67]

How are they all doing?

They are doing great! Jump out of the crate onto us when we open the door, well besides a few that are still more reserved. But a couple of those ones are starting to here and there as well. There are 4 of them that are the first out every time and hate to go back as they just want to sit with us and hang out. Even one that hates to be held is perfectly content to sit with us on our arm, shoulder or leg.

How are yours doing?

 

[junior67]

As long as they are warm enough from the heating pad, they do not need an extra light for seeing. They naturally go to “roost” at night and sleep until dawn.

If it doesn’t stress her out too much, it’s probably best to get all the poo off and start ‘fresh’!

Thanks. I thought so with the light but wanted to be sure that when they were this young they didn't get up to eat or drink at night. They are all tucked in (until one daughter turned the hall light on that shined in to the room they are in and then a couple got up peeping and it took one a bit longer to calm down. hahaaa). Earlier when we turned the light out 2 of them stayed out peeping away so my daughter shoo'd them back under the heating pad and they went to sleep.

It didn't seem to be stressing her. I tucked her into one of my arms against my belly so she was nice and warm so she seemed to go to sleep while I was doing it. with it damp it was hard to see if I got it all since it was mainly just a little strip down under her butt. I also was afraid of getting her too wet and doing too much with just getting her today. I will try to get a pic of it tomorrow if there is anything there. She was trying to clean it up after I put her back (and would fall over trying to reach it. is that normal????)

 

[rosemarythyme]

The beauty of using a MHP is that the chicks can have a true day/night cycle. So yes they'll sleep at night and no you don't want a light on to try to keep them up to force them to eat.

Sounds like the pasty butt chick is doing fine, just keep checking her regularly to make sure that she's not getting more built up.